Transcription
My Dear Will,
Father has just returned from his office and / tells me that a Vefsel has cleared for Canton and will sail tomorrow / morning at 9 0 clock. It is now late in the evening and as I have / been busy writing all day I am not much in the mood for scrawling / and it is [ten chances] to me that I fall asleep before getting to the bottom / of the pages How be it, I will write as long as my eyes Keep open as I / may not have time in the morning and I should regret, especially as / the chances are so new, losing any opportunity of bringing you in [in] [?-ancy] / home. We have been sending daily to learn when the [Horatio] would / sail, never dreaming of the [London], as she is one of the latest vefsels [in].
It was an exceeding rash promise of mine, that I would keep a / sort of diary for you duing my late excursion - which is [rushed?] by my / not putting pen to paper after all that time. We had a joyous time of it - / remained three or four day at the old spot, that loveliest of all mundane / places [??] West Point. I roved alone over the old grounds where we / had been together, and drank [of thee?] [in?] mellow [Burgundy] _ the dinners sustain / their old reputation. Richard, the man we used to patronize is there still and
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Asked after you. When I told him you were at Canton he said “ [so] sure, / and wont he be up here this summer!” I mifsed much the delicious / music we had in days of yore. The glorious hand has departed _ it ap- / -pears that when one of the officers left the Point, who was mightily disliked / by the Cadets and [??], they struck up the “rogues march”, whereupon / the commandant packed them off, bag and baggage. I a new band / however is organizing under the direction of some skilled Italian and / they expect to have a hand in the course of this month. From this place / we went to Catskill mountain House, were we found a multitude of / vulgar people, d–?d and fare scant fare, clouds and weather so / cold that we were glad to come down the next day _ the only fare? / enjoyment I had was trying to [rodger] a pretty English serving maid of Mrs / Pauldings; but we parted too soon and with Edgar, Amanda and Emily in / a stage coach, I a-?- went rogu? Rogerlefs to Saugerties, We drove up to / Pierres about sunset, took tea there and re-[paired?] to Edgar Cottage by moon- / -light. While they were riding there some [g–ar?] out acrofs the [fields?] and arrived / there before them and had the cottage lighted up. Amanda was perfectly / charmed with her new home. The approach is up a little dell through / a pleasant grove and the road winds round in front of the cottage / which is seated on a ??--ground? Gently hill, having a view / through the trees of the lake in front. It really looked sweet on the / night of our arrival, and seemed to be the very chosen post for a young /
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Couple. I doubt whether you would recognize the Commodore, if you could / drop down upon him now, clad in his long coat of white, pacing up and down / his own parlour, with a half whistle smile playing about t- his / mouth. He is certainly about the happiest [fellow] going. But alack he’s / married, and methinks Will, it is vastly doubtful whether the joy of married / life can compensate for the lofs of liberty. But I wont abuse matrimony / as one don’t know what one may come to _
I have been out of the way of all xx [?women? - faint, illegible, tape repair obscures] [this] [summer] / and therefore can tell you but little about [them?]. Your old flame / Ruth [S.] has been and is still at [Lebanon] with her sister Elizabeth and / Fanny Goodhue. She has been in delicate health, but [Dayton Hobert] who / saw her at the Springs says she looked more beautiful than ever. I have / not heard that she has had any admirer since Bob [Goelet?]. I had a / letter from George Duer when I was at Saugerties, praying me to join / him at Newport where he was [inclose?]. I had not the wherewith / -al - so did not obery the summons. Our little darling Emily [G?] / sent me a mefsage to tell me to come on; but alack alack she sent / me no money to travel with, and in these matter o fact days, mortal / man cannot journey upon love _ neither live upon love _ [or] be he ever so / loving he requireth Victuals and drink _ He mentioned likewise / that Caroline [Allender] was there; a damsel, who at the present writing / George is flirting with. The City is horrible at [moment] _ no one yet /
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Returned _ Where all the fashionable are scattered I cant say _ The / cholera has been here for some time and still hangs on _ we have all / had the [promentories?] x? More or less - All our flock are up at Saugerties / Mammy has gone on her annual visit to Jacob - so that there is no / one in the [Bridge Street Hotel], save Uncle Wash _ Father and myself - / gloomy enough. I walk about the house like a [dispirited?] [?--ent?] _ occa- / sionally [shum?] on the [Plains?] then return to my work or look out upon / [Donaldson’s [nigger] William, who is the busiest man, the greates whistler / the loudest laugher and the happiest fellow about these parts.
But I am mid - nid - noddin - so good night I will scratch / more tomorrow —-
September 5th. It rains cats and dogs this morning and the wind / being from the north-east I question whether the ship will sail, if she / does not I will write again. I will close this and send it down / so as to make sure of something. [??] the [??] I will endeavour / to collect some magazine, amusing books +c to send by the Horatio.\\
Thanks for your letter ?? of the 1st April _ I should have liked / it better had it been longer. I was sorry to find you still in low spirits / but I feel afsured you will be cheered up when [coolidge?] and [friends] from / home arrive. Many enquire after you, but none oftener that migger / William, – I believe that is his name _ who used to sweep out the office, / Good bye dear Will, for the present
Your affectionate brother
[T.] ITranscriber
Kathryn AlexanderLanguage
EnglishNotes
Use of offensive language
